The present invention relates to a soft magnetic material, in particular a magnetic material of metal base suitable for use as the material of a magnetic head, and also to a magnetic head made of such a magnetic material.
Hitherto, a hard Fe-Si-Al type alloy known as Sendust Alloy has been used as a magnetic material of metal base for use as the material of magnetic heads.
This magnetic material of metal base has a high magnetic flux density saturation level but exhibits a large eddy current loss and, hence, a low magnetic permeability particularly in high-frequency region due to too low electrical resistance. In addition, magnetic heads made of this material exhibit inferior wear resistance against abrasion by magnetic tapes, as compared with magnetic heads made of ferrite-type magnetic heads made of oxide magnetic materials.
Thus, magnetic materials for use as the materials of magnetic heads are required to have a high magnetic flux density saturation level and high electrical resistance, as well as high wear resistance to stand frictional contact between the magnetic heads made of such materials and magnetic tapes.